Bremer 'is powerless to restrain the US military'

[happyending]

Bremer 'is powerless to restrain the US military'
By Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad

15 April 2004

Divisions within the US leadership in Baghdad are hampering negotiations to end the stand-off between the radical cleric Muqtada Sadr and the 2,500 American troops who are surrounding him.

Sadr, who has taken refuge with his black-clad militiamen in the holy city of Najaf in southern Iraq, has dropped all conditions for talks with the US. Previously he demanded that US soldiers leave Najaf, free his followers who had been arrested and end the siege of Fallujah.

"It is very difficult to know who is taking the decisions on the American side," said Hussain al-Shahristani, an influential Shia figure, in an interview with The Independent. "You hear one thing from Bremer and another thing from the US army."

Earlier in the week negotiators persuaded Sadr to order his Army of the Mehdi militiamen to withdraw from police stations in Najaf, only to hear a few hours later the US army announce its intention to kill or capture the young clergyman. Foreign diplomats, Coalition Provisional Authority officials and Iraqi politicians also say that Mr Bremer, though it was he who first sought a confrontation with Sadr by closing his newspaper, has very little influence on decisions taken by the US military.

more here
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=511587

[ewagner]

1. Hmmmmm

wonder if Myers is over there to yank Gen Mark Kimmit back in line? Or at the very least to tell him to shut his pie-hole?

[mmm]

5. sounds like Meyers doesn't have a clue

"General Richard Myers, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said yesterday in Kuwait that Sadr's recent activities have further marginalised him and he is in a very weak position."

Seems to me like this is the exact opposite of what is happening.
Sadr has wisely bowed to the authority of the Marjaa.
By directly involving Sistani he has orchestrated a showdown
between Bush and the highest authority in Shiism.

[saigon68]

8. You mean this Dork

Gen. BLUE SUIT MEYERS puppet boy, US military catamite, appointed by Cheney Caesar in the year of Our Lord 2001

His quote “Duh, we are winning"

[Avalux]

2. Where's the Commander in Cheif???

And where's Condi? Didn't shrub put her in charge of Iraq a while ago, after he took it away from Rummy?

It is clear no one is in charge of this mess; Bremer needs to go. He is ineffective and is only making things worse.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. that's where the buck stops

it surely does. There is only one CiC.

[bpilgrim]

3. Cry Havoc! and let slip the Dogs of War!

peace

[bemildred]

6. What horseshit.

If the US military is not restrained, it's the because the
US government wants it that way. If Mr. Bremer is a tool, he
is a willing and culpable tool.

[Junkdrawer]

7. BushCo is playing Good Cop / Bad Cop...

Dangerous game!